Originally Published: Real Clue Comics #6 (August 1947)

Publisher: Hillman Periodicals

Writer/Artist: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

Notes: No Bond connection aside from the curiously coincidental, but nonetheless a fun golden age crime adventure by the peerless duo of Joe Simon & Jack Kirby featuring the mystical adventurer Dumas Poe, aka Gunmaster, and his Maltese Falcon-esque quest for the mythic Golden Gun.

Together, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby drove the comic book medium into new heights and genres and there is nothing that the two of them didn’t do, either together or independently. For espionage fans, Simon & Kirby co-created Captain America, Boy Commandos, Fighting American, and spun many war and spy themed tales across all the genres they worked in from superhero to science fiction to even romance.

Jack Kirby also co-created Nick Fury and drew many of the early adventures of SHIELD. In the 70s, he was hired to adapt Patrick McGoohan’s The Prisoner into comic book form. Although the book was never published, a fantastic original art edition of Kirby’s work was released in 2018 by Titan Books, also featuring work by Mike Royer, Gil Kane, Steve Englehart, and Mike Allred.

Originally published in two parts in El Tony Todo Color #32 and El Tony Supercolor #133 as “Highlander: El Último de los Inmortales”. Based upon the film Highlander directed by Russell Mulcahy and produced by Peter S. Davis and William Panzer

Writer: Héctor Alba, based upon the screenplay by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, and Larry Ferguson.

Artist: Rubén Meriggi

Translator: Clinton Rawls

Notes: The Highlander franchise has had its share of ups and downs, but the fan base has remained ardent through the years. This Argentine comic adaptation largely follows the plot of the first film, though in the process a great deal of heart, style, and nuance is sacrificed. In addition, the story feels rushed in spots and Meriggi’s art lacks his usual level of detail and gritty ferocity.

However, what makes this adaptation worthwhile is that some major changes have been made to character motivations and to the larger mythology of the series. Writer Alba attempts to provide an explanation for why immortals battle one another, suggests a more provocative lineage for the film’s villain, and in effect completely changes the rules of the game. Try not to lose your head over it all, but at least he doesn’t make immortals aliens from another planet.

Bond Connections: While the most obvious connection would be the casting of Sean Connery, director John Glen stated in his autobiography that he and Cubby Broccoli met with Christoph Lambert for the role of Bond, but found his English not strong enough. Furthermore, a number of Bond alums have appeared in the Highlander franchise over the years, such as Soon-Tek Oh (The Man With the Golden Gun), Sheena Easton (For Your Eyes Only), Kabir Bedi (Octopussy), Vincent Schiavelli (Tomorrow Never Dies), and many more.

Artistic Licence: As mentioned above, the story feels a bit rushed in its original form. Police officers change rank from part one to part two, the titular Highlander’s name is frequently misspelled, and other small details remain inconsistent from page to page. For the purposes of readability, I’ve corrected these minor errors in the translation and have chosen to spell Connor MacLeod’s name as it is seen in the film and television series.